Safety & Public Works Committee

SAFETY AND PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE MINUTES THURSDAY AUGUST 1, 2024 8:00 AM VIA ZOOM MEETING Members Present: Anne Williams, Council Chair Tenille Kaus, Council Member Nancy Moore, Council Member Sara Schiavoni, Citizen Member James Sammon, Citizen Member Jonathan Hren, Citizen Member Kim Harris, Citizen Member Others Present: David Weiss, Mayor Jeri Chaikin, CAO Patrick Sweeney, Chief of Fire James Heath, Assistant Fire Chief Rebecca Globakar, Business Service Manager Joyce Braverman, Director of Planning Anna Mates, Planner Wayne Hudson, Chief of Police Chuck Orlowski, Asst. Director of Public Works Megan Sakacs, Recording Secretary The meeting was called to order by Council Chair Anne Williams at 8:00 am. Approval of June 6, 2024 Meeting Minutes Council Chair Williams requested a motion to approve the June 6, 2024 Safety and Public Works minutes. A motion was made by Council Member Nancy Moore, and seconded by Citizen Member Citizen Member Jonathan Hren. The motion carried. Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC) District One Public Works Integrating Committee (DOPWIC) State Capital Improvement Program (SCIP) FY 2026 project application Joyce Braverman, Director of Planning Director Braverman is requesting authorization to submit a grant application and to accept funds that may be awarded from the Ohio Public Works Commission in the amount of 6.9 Million. This funding is for the Lee Rd. reconstruction and resurfacing project that is scheduled to take place in 2027. Director Braverman stated that this project will be done in conjunction with the Cuyahoga County Department of Public Works. Director Braverman mentioned that this project is a result of the Lee Road Action Plan which was adopted in March of 2024. Council Chair Williams opened the floor for questions and or comments. Council Chair Williams asked if the City of Cleveland was still coordinating with this project. Director Braverman responded that yes, Cleveland is still involved with the project but is about a year behind as they are doing pre-engineering to investigate their bike infrastructure. Council Member Moore asked who would supervise the project. Director Braverman stated that the City Council had previously approved the city’s administration to enter a contract with Cuyahoga County to manage the project, council Member Moore also asked how confident Director Braverman is with the county managing the project. She stated that she is very confident with the county managing the project. Director Braverman informed the committee that 1 million dollars in funding from the county will also go towards the cost of engineering. A motion to approve was made by Citizen Member Jonathan Hren and was seconded by Citizen Member James Sammon. The motion carried. 2025 Cuyahoga County Supplemental Grant (CDSG); Application for Hildana Park Improvements Anna Mates, Planner Planner Anna Mates is requesting authorization to submit a grant application, and to accept a grant from, the Cuyahoga County Department of Development 2025 Municipal Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) for Hildana Park Improvements, including new benches, trees, paved paths, and public art. The project area is located on Chagrin Boulevard between Hildana and Ludgate Roads in the Moreland neighborhood. The Planning Department will submit a grant application for $150,000 (the maximum amount available). There is no local match required for this grant. Grant applications and supporting legislation are due to the Cuyahoga County Department of Development on September 16, 2024. Grant recipients will be notified of awards in spring 2025. Planner Mates has shared that in previous years, this grant has funded: Chagrin/Lynnfield intersection improvements, Gridley Triangle Park improvements; Winslow Road Historic District streetscape improvements; ADA improvements at City Hall; streetscape improvements at the Lee/Lomond intersection; and resurfacing of the Shaker Towne Center south parking lot. Most recently, CDBG funds were awarded for the Lee Road Storefront and Exterior Improvement Program. Council Chair Williams opened the floor for questions and or comments. Council Member Moore asked how competitive this grant acceptance is. Planner Mates responded and said that it is a competitive grant because they only give 10 of these grants out each year, grant funds have previously been secured for improvements to Hildana Park, and due to the current condition of the public art, there is a good chance funding will be received again. Council Member Moore also asked what would happen to the artwork that is currently at the park during and after this project. Ms. Mates stated that if the grant is awarded there will be a call for artists and the artist will work with the community to either redesign the existing sculpture or propose something new. Citizen Member Sara Schiavoni asked if the scoring process could be explained. Director Braverman explained that Hildana Park scored high based on the factors that it was rated as both LMI (Low-Moderate Income) and ITA (Improvement Target Area). Ongoing City initiatives are also evaluated so the City can align grant applications with City priorities. A motion to approve was made by Council Member Tenille Kaus and was seconded by Council Member Nancy Moore. The motion carried. 2025 Cuyahoga County Supplement Grant (CDSG); Application for Hildana Park Improvements (Part 2) Anna Mates, Planner Planner Anna Mates is requesting to authorize a grant application to, and to accept a grant from, the Cuyahoga County Department of Development 2025 Supplemental Grant Program (CDSG) for Hildana Park Improvements, including new benches, trees, paved paths, and public art. The project area is located in the Moreland neighborhood on Chagrin Boulevard between Hildana and Ludgate Roads. The Planning Department will submit a grant application for $50,000 (the maximum amount available). No local match is required. Grant applications and supporting legislation are due to the Cuyahoga County Department of Development on September 16th. Grant recipients will be notified of the award in December or January. Planner Mates stated that in previous years, this grant has funded: Lee Road streetscape enhancements; Van Aken District Busway improvements; Chagrin/Lynnfield intersection improvements; City Hall window restoration; Southern Moreland traffic calming improvements; and Home Repair Grant Programs. Ms. Mates mentioned that park improvements were last made to Hildana Park in 2018. Moreland residents have expressed that they consider parks and art critical for community building, neighborhood pride, and place-making. The Hildana Park Improvements will create an improved public space that will continue to serve residents of the immediate neighborhood. Council Chair Williams opened the floor for questions and or comments. There were none. A motion to approve was made by Citizen Member Jonathan Hren and was seconded by Council Member Tenille Kaus. The motion carried. Lucas CPR Device Purchase Patrick Sweeney, Chief of Fire Chief Sweeney is requesting to move forward with purchasing 5 Lucas Devices from a sole source vendor, Stryker. Chief Sweeney mentioned the Fire Department currently has 3 Lucas CPR Devices, one for each rescue squad, that were placed in service in 2015 and are nearing their end of life. In addition to replacing the 3 units would like to add 2 additional devices to place in service on each Fire Engine. Chief Sweeney mentioned that early, continuous, and effective CPR has proven to provide successful outcomes for cardiac arrest patients. The Lucas CPR Device ensures that quality CPR is continuously being provided to a patient in cardiac arrest. This consistent and effective CPR provided by the Lucas Device significantly increases the chances of survival for these patients. The quote provided for this purchase totals $122,655.60 which includes the 5 Lucas Devices, required accessories, and a maintenance agreement for periodic service and inspection of the devices by Stryker for 4 years. Council Chair Williams opened the floor for questions and or comments. Citizen Member James Sammon asked how often these devices are used. Chief Sweeney responded by saying that they are at least 3-4 times per week, some weeks they could be used daily. A motion to approve was made by Citizen Member James Sammon and was seconded by Council Member Nancy Moore. The motion carried. First CALL Mental Health Response Vehicle Purchase James Heath, Asst. Chief of Fire The Shaker Heights Fire Department is seeking the City’s authorization to purchase two electric (2) vehicles necessary for usage by an expanded mental health response program (First CALL). Assistant Chief Heath stated that back in May the city took delivery of two Chevy Bolt EUV vehicles which the police had previously taken to your committee for approval. Unfortunately, those vehicles are no longer available. At that time the vehicles were not on state bid and nobody submitted any proposals through the formal bidding process. Asked for the reason nobody bid, one dealer said that the demand is so high, they can find buyers without having to go through a bidding process, put up a bid bond, and hold the vehicles pending award of the bid and issuance of a purchase order. Based on the reason stated above, the Shaker Heights Fire Department is requesting support waiving the competitive bidding process and proceeding with the purchase of two (2) 2024/2025 Hyundai KONA Electric Vehicles, at a cost not to exceed $36,000 per vehicle, based on the reasons stated above. Once authorized, the Fire Department can then seek quotes from dealers and immediately issue a purchase order to acquire the vehicles for the program. Council Chair Williams opened the floor for questions and or comments. Council Member Moore asked if the Hyundai is problematic to thieves similar to the KIA has a high thief rating, Chief of Police Wayne Hudson responded to Council Member Moore stating that the Hyundai has not been stolen as much as KIA has in the past, Chief Hudson also mentioned that the newer models have a new locking mechanism on the steering column making them harder to steal. Citizen Member James Sammon asked why the vehicles had to be electric and where are the vehicles going to be charged. Assistant Chief Heath stated that when they were tasked with the assignment to acquire new vehicles that was part of the assignment. Mayor Weiss spoke up and stated that from a sustainability prospect electrified equipment is to be used when possible unless there is a better option. As for the charging availability, Mayor Weiss stated that to his knowledge Shaker Heights has the most charging stations on the Eastside, but these vehicles will be charged at the Police Department Parking Lot once new charging stations are installed. Citizen Member Jonathan Hren commented that he is a new electric car owner as of earlier this year, and stated that the KONA’s are very well suited for driving around in an urban area. A motion to approve was made by Council Member Nancy Moore and was seconded by Citizen Member Jonathan Hren. The motion carried. FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant Award- Acceptance & Appropriation Patrick Sweeney, Chief of Fire The Shaker Heights Fire Department is requesting approval to accept the awarded federal grant funding of $205,768.18 along with an appropriation of the same amount to the Fire Department Budget. Chief Sweeney stated that The Shaker Heights Fire Department submitted a FEMA Assistance to Firefighters grant application this past March. This grant application was to secure funding for fire department training and professional development needs. Funding for these needs was determined to be a high priority for this grant application. On July 26, 2024, the Fire Department received notification that our grant application had been approved and would be awarded the full amount of the request in the amount of $226,345.00. This grant award requires a 10% city match which would be approximately $20,576.82. The federal funds that will be reimbursed to The City of Shaker Heights is $205,768.18 the 10% match requirement would be covered by the existing training budget or from a reimbursement from the Cuyahoga County Office of Emergency Management. Council Chair Williams opened the floor for questions and or comments. There were none. A motion to approve was made by Council Member Nancy Moore and was seconded by Council Member Tenille Kaus. The motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 8:43 am. Respectfully, Anne Williams, Council Chairperson Safety & Public Works Committee